One of the best in the world: Wasim Jaffer wishes Steve Smith

Samson had a redemption story to remember, as he went from not being a part of the playing eleven in the start and having a frustratingly inconsistent form, he went on to play three of the most important innings of his career when it mattered the most, producing gems right from the virtual quarterfinal to the title clash against New Zealand. Tharoor also wished Samson for a new beginning in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a franchise he was traded to after years of association with Rajasthan Royals.

During the post-match presentation, England captain Harry Brook said, "A beautiful birthday present. I thought we played exceptionally there, and to get over the line and bowl them out for less than 100 is an awesome effort.

Australia crushed Oman in a massive face-saving win at Pallekele on Friday, letting them end their campaign on a high with two wins and losses each. But their poor performances against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka raised concerns about the health of Aussie T20I cricket and whether they take the format seriously at all or not. Coming into the tournament, frontline pacers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were ruled out due to injuries, and skipper Marsh missed out on two games due to a groin injury scare. Steve Smith was flown in as a replacement, but did not get even a single game to play.

As per ESPNCricinfo, the five-match series will end on March 25, a day before the expected beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 26. Out of the players featuring in the T20 WC squad, only Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith are the only players currently in India who will be touring to New Zealand.

J-K defeated Bengal by six wickets to enter the final, where they will clash with Karnataka for the title clash at the KSCA Hubballi Cricket Stadium, commencing on February 24.